This spring marks the largest jump in incoming undergraduate students for a spring semester since at least 1999.

Biola welcomed 167 students this month, 44 students more than last spring’s class and 11 students more than projected, as of Monday. That’s after last year’s incoming class fell short of its preceding class —137 in 2008 compared with 123 in 2009. The number of continuing undergrad students also surpassed expectations by 23 students, 3,282 compared with 3,259. Talbot also had a significantly larger incoming spring class, with 145 new students this spring compared with 122 last spring. Current numbers are preliminary, but Metzger officials don’t forecast much change between now and next week, when more set-in-stone numbers are expected, according to Ken Gilson, dean of academic records and the university registrar.

“We are running ahead,” said Greg Vaughan, vice president for enrollment management.“We know that many of our competitors are running even further ahead.”

Total spring enrollment is up in all other academic programs across campus except for the English Language Studies Program and the Masters in Business Administration program. ELSP had the most noticeable decline in enrollment, down from 58 last spring to 37 this spring, and the MBA program was down one student from 29 to 28. Undergrad enrollment as a whole climbed up 82 students, from 3,367 last spring to 3,449 this spring, as of Monday.

Vaughan said factors outside Biola’s control were likely more influential in keeping spring undergrad numbers up than anything Biola has done to retain and attract students. With community colleges offering fewer classes and tuition soaring at UC schools, students are probably more likely to choose Biola, he said.

“It’s not so much strategies or initiatives as much as I think it was the environment,” Vaughan said.

In contrast with previous enrollment records, enrollment in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program edged up slightly from last spring, 68 in 2009 to 72 this spring. Vaughan credited the increase to doubled effort from Biola employees to up numbers for the final semester of new students. MOL is set to phase out completely by June 2013.

Tracking enrollment is challenging to say the least, Gilson said.

“It’s kind of like hitting a moving target,” he said. “It’s always, always changing.”

Metzger officials typically wait to release final numbers for the end of the add/drop period, which was last Friday. By that point, essentially all students have made their decisions, Gilson said.

Meanwhile, numbers for fall ’10 applications are up university-wide by 205 students, bringing the total number of applicants to 3,144 as of Monday. For undergrad students, fall applications are up by 162 students, from 2,557 last year to 2,719 this year. Applications have increased across the board, except for the School of Arts and Sciences, which decreased by seven applications from 35 last year to 28 this year.

Vaughan said university officials have set a goal of 81 new undergrad students for fall, but are budgeting for basically flat enrollment. More new students will be needed to offset the especially large class graduating in a few months, Vaughn explained.

The university will have more accurate numbers for its incoming class of fall ’10 once students turn in deposits May 1. The economy is still taking a toll on families, however, as Vaughan recognized. Interest in Biola is high, but the end result, based on how affordable Biola is for students, remains unknown for now.

“With the economic downturn, I think the university has taken a more conservative approach,” Vaughan said. “We’re not budgeting for any kind of significant growth.”